GOP Must Say "No Thanks" To Saltsman

I thought I'd weigh in on some of the controversy surrounding the race for RNC head.  As those following the situation are aware, former Tennessee Republican chairman and Huckabee campaign chairman Chip Saltsman is under fire for disseminating to RNC members CD's that include a parody song entitled "Barack the Magic Negro."

While Saltsman is probably no racist, his decision to send the CD displays a frightening level of tone deafness on an issue for which many Americans have a certain degree of hypersensitivity.  Consequently, I think it would be a critical mistake for the RNC to elect Saltsman as its leader.  I'm especially troubled to read that some RNC members who will be voting on the next chairman don't seem to see anything wrong with Saltsman's action.  It tells me that influential members of the Republican Party simply don't get it, and their lack of comprehension could hurt future efforts of the Party to rebuild its brand and become more competitive in urban areas.

It's also unhelpful to the image of the Republic Party when another southern Republican seems to make light of the issue:

Alabama Republican committeeman Paul Reynolds said the fact the Saltsman sent him a CD with the song on it “didn’t bother me one bit.” 

“Chip probably could have thought it through a bit more, but he was doing everyone a favor by giving us a gift,” he said. “This is just people looking for something to make an issue of.”

This kind of comment feeds a stereotype that only complicates efforts to broaden the Party's support.  You can bet that the Democrats can capitalize on this seeming indifference to race if given the opportunity.  Politics is about perception, and the clear perception that comes across as a result of the Saltsman story is that the GOP is too southern and not serious about racial issues.  

The GOP must retain is core values while pursuing strategies to educate and expand its electorate.  In my opinion, Saltsman should no longer be a viable candidate to lead the GOP out of the wilderness.